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Mount St. Mary's pulls away for win with great shooting

News service reports

Posted:
02/11/2014 12:06:40 AM EST

Mount St. Mary's didn't have just an average night from the floor. They had an outstanding night. And when almost 60 percent of the Mount's shots dropped through the rim, it was too much for Fairleigh Dickinson to overcome as the Mount pulled away for an 88-70 victory on the road at Stratis Arena.

Mount St. Mary's connected on 56.9 percent of their field goals.

Sydney Henderson scored 22 points and dished out a career-high eight assists to help the Mount move into a tie for second place in the Northeast Conference.

The Mount (13-11, 8-4 NEC) led the Knights (2-21, 1-11 NEC) by a 37-34 halftime score and was able to pull away with a solid second half.

Mount St. Mary's outscored FDU, 51-36, in the final 20 minutes.

FDU, which received a game-high 31 points from Kelsey Cruz, shot 34.9 percent (22-of-63) from the field and scored 23 points off turnovers.

Henderson's 22 points led three Mountaineers in double figures, including 16 from Jessie Kaufman off the bench and 11 courtesy of Jacqueline Brewer. Ashley Christie recorded a career-high 10 assists and tied a career best with five steals on the night.

FDU cut the Mount's lead to 73-65 with just under 5:30 left, but the Mount continued to shoot well to pull away down the stretch. The Mountaineers capped the game with an 11-3 run to pick up their fifth win in the last six games.

Balanced scoring, with six players registering seven or more points, carried the Mount's offense. The 36 points off the bench for the Mountaineers ties for the second most this season.

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The one negative on the game for the Mount was ball control. The Mount survived 19 turnovers.

Mount St. Mary's scored 40 points in the paint and outrebounded FDU, 38-30.

It's shaping up to be a memorable year for the Mount. The eight Northeast Conference wins are tied for the second most in head coach Bryan Whitten's seven-year Mount career. It is also the first time the Mount has won three consecutive road games this season.